EP1847364A1

EP1847364A1 - A rotary machine for decorating and printing

Info

Publication number: EP1847364A1
Application number: EP06425276A
Authority: EP
Inventors: William Bellini
Original assignee: SCW Technology Sas
Current assignee: SCW Technology Sas
Priority date: 2006-04-21
Filing date: 2006-04-21
Publication date: 2007-10-24

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary machine for glazing and decorating in particular ceramic panels. It comprises a mobile infeed device (1) for panels (2) on which operates a matrix cylinder (3) provided with an elastically deformable peripheral part having a smooth external cylindrical external surface (30) made in elastomer material, on which a relief is cut, constituting the matrix, in the form of microscopic cavities (31). A doctor (4), arranged in contact with the cylindrical external surface (30), has the task of scraping away excess liquid and any impurities deposited on the cylindrical external surface (30) as well as the task of remixing the liquid such as at least partially to replenish the cavities (31) with the liquid. The matrix cylinder (3) is positioned on the rest plane (1) such as to roll thereon without dragging on a panel upper surface as the panel transits on the infeed device (1).

Description

In particular the invention relates to the very broad sector of printing in general on very various supports, and the adopting of especially ceramictile decoration and glazing to this broader sector. The ceramic tile decoration and glazing process specifically referred-to is the one described in European patent no. 0 677 364 , which related to a rotary machine for decorating and glazing, in particular for ceramic tiles, which machine comprises:

a mobile infeed device (1) for ceramic tiles (2) on which the tiles (2) are conveyed in a pre-established direction;
a rotary decorating and glazing apparatus positioned above the infeed device (1),

a matrix cylinder (3), rotatingly mobile about an axis of the cylinder (3) and having at least one elastically deformable portion exhibiting at a periphery thereof a smooth cylindrical external surface (30) made in an elastomer material on which a matrix is cut, said matrix being composed of a plurality of cavities (31);
at least a first doctor (4) operating contactingly with the cylindrical external surface (30) of the matrix cylinder (3) so as to scrape there-against and remove therefrom an excess of liquid deposited thereon and adhering thereto; the doctor (4) combining the functions of scraping and cleaning with a liquid-mixing function which at each turn of the matrix cylinder (3) at least partially refreshes the cavities (31) by refilling them;
the matrix cylinder (3) having a rotation direction about an axis thereof, and being adjustable with respect to the infeed device (1) so that the cylindrical external surface (30) rotates without dragging against and with a preestablished pressure upon a surface of a tile transiting on the infeed device (1).

The aim of extending this decoration-glazing process, using the above-mentioned machine which is object of European patent no. 0 677 364 to a much broader printing sector, involving very different types of support, is attained by a rotary machine for decoration and printing, as it is
characterised in the appended claims.
The machine and process of the present invention enable high production rhythms, do not require the constant presence of operators for controlling the results of the decoration and printing, and at the same time exhibit a very long working life for the matrices, with only very small maintenance needs.
The invention also enables decoration to be made on soft or flexible materials, as well as rigid materials having very regular shapes, without causing breakages, and while maintaining very high product quality of transfer of a decoration and printing.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, of an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the form of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic lateral vertical elevation;
figure 1a is the same view of figure 1, relating to a second embodiment of the invention;
figure 2 is a schematic plan view from above of figure 1,
figure 2a is a schematic view from above of figure 1 a,
figure 3 shows in enlarged scale a part of a schematic section made according to line II-II of figure 2;
figure 4 shows, in enlarged scale, a detail of figure 3;
figure 5 is a schematic plan view from above of the detail of figure 4;
figure 6 is a detail of the schematic section of figure 3, referring to a further embodiment.

With reference to the figures, 1 schematically denotes an infeed device for tiles 2, whereon the tiles are conveyed in the sense and direction indicated by arrow 15.
The infeed device 1 can be a traditional conveyor belt supported inferiorly by a plane along which the upper branch of the belt slides. The infeed device 1 is inserted into a usual panel transport line. The panels can be slabs and/or sheets, such as for example panes of glass for building and industrial uses, or plasterboard panels, or panels, slabs or sheets made of plastic materials, or concrete fibres, and so on.
A rotary decoration and glazing apparatus is positioned above the infeed device 1 and comprises a matrix cylinder 3 rotating about its own axis in the direction indicated by arrow 18, which matrix cylinder 3 comprises a centre 34 externally bearing an elastically deformable peripheral layer which in turn is externally and peripherally covered by a smooth cylindrical cylindrical external surface 30. In particular the elastically deformable part comprises a soft and spongy inner layer 32 and an external layer 33, also elastically deformable but more compact than the inner layer 32.
The inner layer 32 is made of silicone foam, while the external layer 33 is made in silicone rubber, which in a preferred embodiment is polymerized by polyaddition.
At its ends the centre 34 exhibits two crowns 35 and 36, having the same external diameter as the cylindrical external surface 30, to which they are coaxial.
The whole matrix cylinder 3 is supported by a shaft which is not illustrated in the figures.
External constant-section annular channels 37 are provided on both crowns 35 and 36 and extend over all of the periphery thereof.
Below the downfacing side of the annular channels 37 of each of the crowns 35 and 36, liquid collecting baths 5 and 6 are situated, which are inferiorly provided with liquid collection pipes 7 leading to a container 8 positioned below the apparatus and functioning also as a reservoir for the liquid or paste, which is removed from the container by means of a feed pipe 9.
The matrix, set on the smooth cylindrical external surface 30 of the matrix cylinder 3, comprises a plurality of microscopic cavities 31 all of which retain a small amount of liquid. The cavities 31 are uniformly distributed over all of the cylindrical external surface 30, and are characterised in that they exhibit a more or less constant breadth-depth ratio.
Arranged in contact with the cylindrical surface 30 and along a generatrix of the matrix cylinder 3 is a doctor 4 supported on a frame 12 by means of a pivot 13.
A screw device 14 acting between the doctor 4 and the frame 12 permits an adjusting of the pressure with which the blade of the doctor 4 presses against the cylindrical external surface 30 of the matrix cylinder 3.
The doctor 4, as is clearly illustrated in figure 2, not only contacts the silicone cylindrical external surface 30 but also the coaxial external cylindrical surfaces of the crowns 35 and 36. The doctor 4 oscillates alternatingly in a parallel direction to the matrix cylinder 3 axis, a movement which is transmitted to the frame 12 by a known-type device (not illustrated). The frame 12 is supported on a support arm 21 which is rotatable about a parallel axis to the matrix cylinder 3 axis. Thus the doctor 4 can be arranged at various inclinations with respect to the cylindrical external surface 30 of the matrix cylinder 3, so that the best configuration can be found for filling the cavities 31 and for cleaning the cylindrical external surface 30.
The doctor 4 has a further very important function of refreshing, in effect, the liquid, by mixing it continuously, and also partially renews the liquid (or paste) inside the cavities 31, especially when, during the course of a rotation, not all of the liquid already lodged in the cavities 31 is laid on the panels.
A still further function of the doctor 4 is to free the cylindrical external surface 30 from any impurities or extraneous bodies, by shifting such detritus to the edges thereof.
In a further embodiment, illustrated in figure 6, a second doctor 25 is provided upstream of the first doctor 4 and has the function of effecting a first scraping and cleaning of the cylindrical external surface 30 so as to facilitate the subsequent reloading the cavities 31.
The liquid o paste for decorating or printing is brought into the space comprised between the doctor 4 and the adjacent portion of the cylindrical external surface 30 through the feed pipe 9, which has its exit mouth situated in the appropriate zone.
The liquid is collected from the same container 8 into which the excess liquid is sent from the annular channels 37. The above-mentioned extraneous matter is also sent down with the liquid from the annular channels 37, and is deposited therewith in the baths 5 and 6, wherefrom the liquid flows down through the collection pipes 7 and into the container 8, located below the infeed device 1 and removable, being mounted on wheels 10 and resting on the floor.
The matrix cylinder 3 is set in rotation by a motor head 20 positioned by the side of the infeed device 1. The motor head 20 can move vertically to enable height-regulation of the matrix cylinder 3 with respect to the infeed device 1 conveying the panels 2.
The motorization (not illustrated) producing the rotation of the matrix cylinder 3 is connected with the motorization producing the advancement of the panels 2 on the infeed device 1 such that the cylindrical external surface rotates without dragging and exerts a preestablished pressure on the upper surface of the panels 2 transiting on the infeed device 1.
When working at normal speed, the panels 2, distanced correctly one from another, transit below the matrix cylinder 3, which is fed with liquid by the exit mouth of the feed pipe 9. The doctor 4 scrapes the cylindrical external surface 30, distributing the liquid and "freshening it" by continually remixing it, at least partially, inside the cavities 31.
When contact occurs between the cylindrical external surface 30 and the upper surface of the panel 2, the liquid contained in the cavities 31 is at least partially extracted and deposited on said panel surface and reproduces, in plan, the distributions of the cavities 31 distributed on the cylindrical external surface 30 constituting the matrix.
Thanks to the elastic deformability of the external layer 33 and the inner layer 32, any eventual irregularity of the panel surface does not obstruct transfer of the liquid.
The depositing of the liquid for decorating or printing on the surface of the panels will be a true reproduction of the arrangement of the cells on the matrix situated on the external cylindrical surface 30; the small quantities of liquid transferred onto the surfaces of the panels will exactly correspond to the quantities of liquid contained in the cavities 31: the larger-size cells will deposit larger quantities of liquid, and the smaller-sizes cells will according deposit smaller quantities of liquid. This permits an excellent range of half-tones.
In a second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figures 1 a and 2a, the infeed device supports and transfers material to be printed or decorated in the form of continuous sheets, and is constituted by usual means, not illustrated in the figures of the drawings, which means keep the materials to be printed tensed, so that the advance in a perpendicular direction to the axis of the matrix cylinder 3 in synchrony with the rotation direction of the cylinder, so that rolling with no drag is obtained of the smooth external cylinder surface (30), with a predetermined pressure on the surfaces of the materials to be printed or decorated. Thus any type of sheets can be decorated or printed on, for example metal materials unwinding directly from reels.
The decorating machine, thus, realizes a decoration and glazing process, in particular for ceramic panels, which is characterized in that it comprises:

arrangement of liquid on a recess-formed matrix composed of a plurality of cavities 31 cut into a portion of cylindrical and elastically-deformable smooth cylindrical external surface 30;
removal by use of a doctor 4 of excess liquid deposited on the matrix cut into the cylindrical external surface 30; said doctor 4 also having the function of continually remixing the liquid and at least partially removing the liquid lodged in the cavities 31;
transfer of the liquid contained in the cavities 31 by direct contact, that is by rolling without dragging of the matrix set into the cylindrical external surface 30 on a panel surface.

An advantage of the present invention is that the device is self-cleaning: before coming into contact with the panel, the doctor 4 scrapes the cylinder 3 and thus at the same time cleans the cylindrical external surface 30 and fills the cavities 31.
A further advantage is the operative speed of the device.

Claims

A rotary machine for decoration and glazing, comprising:
- a mobile infeed device (1) materials to be printed or decorated;

- a rotary decorating and glazing apparatus, cooperating with the infeed device (1), characterised in that it comprises:

- a matrix cylinder (3), rotatingly mobile about an axis of the cylinder (3) and having at least one elastically deformable portion exhibiting at a periphery thereof a smooth cylindrical external surface cylindrical external surface (30) made of an elastomer material on which a matrix is cut, said matrix being composed of a plurality of cavities (31);

- at least a first doctor (4) operating contactingly with the cylindrical external surface (30) of the matrix cylinder (3) so as to scrape there-against and remove therefrom an excess of liquid or paste deposited thereon and adhering thereto; the doctor (4) combining a function of scraping and cleaning with a function of re-mixing the liquid which, at each rotation of the matrix cylinder (3), refills the cavities (31), at least partially refreshing the liquid contained internally thereof;

- the matrix cylinder (3) being provided with a rotation sense about an axis thereof, and being adjustable with respect to the infeed device (1) so that the cylindrical external surface (30) rotates without dragging against and with a preestablished pressure upon a surface of a material to be printed or decorated.
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the recessed forming constituting the matrix is composed of a plurality of cavities (31), predisposed to house internally thereof small quantities of liquid, which cavities (31) are characterised in that they have width and depth dimensions having a ratio that is more or less constant.
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the doctor (4) is adjustable at various inclinations with respect to the smooth external surface (30) of the matrix cylinder (3).
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the first doctor (4) oscillates alternatingly parallel to the axis of the matrix cylinder (3).
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a second doctor (25) located upstream of the first doctor (4) with reference to the rotation direction of the matrix cylinder (3).
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the elastically deformable peripheral part of the matrix cylinder (3) is anchored on a cylindrical centre (34) which exhibits, solidly constrained to both ends, two crowns (35) and (36) which have the same external diameter as the cylindrical external surface (30), to which they are coaxial; each of the crowns (35) and (36) affording at least one external annular channel (37).
The machine of claim 6, characterised in that it comprises, predisposed below a downfacing side of the external annular channels (37) of each of the crowns (35) and (36), collection baths (5) and (6) of the liquid which are inferiorly provided with collection pipes (7) leading to an underlying container (8), from which a feed pipe (9) removes the liquid and delivers it through an exit mouth to a zone immediately above a zone comprised between the first doctor (4) and an adjacent portion of external cylindrical surface (30).
The machine of claim 7, characterised in that the container (8) is removable and mounted on wheels (10).
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the infeed device supports and transfers the materials to be printed or decorated in the form of panels, slabs and/or sheets such as, for example, glass for building and industrial uses, plasterboard panels, panels, slabs or sheets made of plastic materials, in concrete fibre, and the like.
The machine of claim 1, characterised in that the infeed device supports and transfers the materials to be printed or decorated in the form of continuous sheets.
A rotary decoration and glazing process, characterised in that it comprises:
- arrangement of a liquid on a matrix composed of a plurality of cavities (31) cut into a portion of a cylindrical and elastically-deformable smooth cylindrical external surface (30); the matrix being afforded on at least an elastically-deformable part of external cylindrical surface (30);
removal by use of a doctor (4) of excess liquid deposited on the matrix cut into the external cylindrical surface (30); said doctor (4) also having a function of continually remixing the liquid and at least partially replenishing the liquid lodged in the cavities (31);

- transfer of the liquid contained in the cavities (31) by direct contact, by rolling without dragging of the matrix set into the external cylindrical surface (30) on an upper surface of a material.